Appliances for deep fat frying are common and well known. Such appliances typically include a tank for holding the oil in which the food is to be fried (the “fat”), means for heating that oil to a temperature sufficiently high to fry the food when the food is immersed therein, and a basket or other form of food holding device for manipulating the food, such as immersing it into the oil to fry and removing it from the oil when frying is completed.
A common problem with such appliances is that the oil supply contained therein will quickly become contaminated with bits of food during frying, will become foul tasting and malodorous by the combination of such bits of food remaining therein and by prolonged periods at high temperatures, and by remaining non-refrigerated in the appliance for long periods between uses and thereby spoiling. So there is a need for a fryer that allows for the cleansing and refrigerated storage of the oil between uses.
Another problem common to deep fryers is that the oil is often used to cook foods that may cause allergic reactions in some persons, such as fish. So when if the fryer allows for such storage and reuse, caution needs to be used to avoid such reuse for those persons. So there is a need a fryer that allows for the storage and reuse of distinct vessels of such used oils; such as allergic and non-allergic.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,666,131 and 7,314,001, co-invented and co-owned by SEB S.A., teach a deep fryer having a removable emptying vessel into which used oil may be drained by a control mechanism that activates a drain valve of the cooking vessel. However, the control mechanism for activating the drain valve is disadvantageously mounted on the emptying vessel and so, if more than one vessel is used, such as described above, the mechanism must be repeated for each vessel, causing unneeded expense and complication. Further, because the mechanism is the most delicate part of the vessel and is exposed on the vessel when it is removed from the fryer, it is prone to damage.
In its later T-Fal FR8000 fryer, SEB S.A. apparently attempts to rectify that deficiency by moving most of the control mechanism to the fryer, but leaves a critical portion of the mechanism in a precarious valve-actuating member that extends from and is part of the emptying vessel. Additionally, because the mechanism is shared by two major and separable components whose relative disposition is difficult to precisely control, the reliability of the valve actuation is compromised. It is found that the valve actuation mechanism does not properly operate unless the emptying vessel is carefully moved into “just the right position”.
There is a need for a fryer that employs one or more emptying and storing vessels in which the cost, complexity, and vulnerability of the vessel is minimized, and such is an object of the present invention. There is the need for such a fryer in which the valve operating mechanism is solely contained within the fryer and not reliant on the precise positioning of the vessel, and such is an object of the present invention. There is the need for such a fryer in which, when used with multiple vessels, redundant components are minimized, and such is an object of the present invention. Further advantages and objects of the present invention exist, which will be appreciated upon review of the included disclosure.